With Remembrance Sunday taking place this weekend on Sunday 10th November, and Remembrance Day (also known as Armistice Day) taking place on Monday 11th November, we would like to take a moment to pause, reflect, and honour those who sacrificed their lives to protect our country, and remind ourselves of the bravery and resilience of our armed forces.
Remembrance Day/Armistice takes place every year on the 11th November, with Remembrance Sunday taking place on the closest Sunday to Armistice Day. A 2-minute silence takes place at 11 o’clock on Armistice Day, allowing the nation to take a moment to pause and reflect on those who served for our country.
Here at Homecarers, and as a domiciliary care company who provide services to clients up to the age of 100+, Remembrance Day is incredibly meaningful to ourselves, our staff, and service users and their families.
What is the history of Remembrance Day?
Remembrance Day started back in 1919, commemorating the Armistice agreement, ending the World War 1. This took place on the eleventh hour of the eleventh month. Originally named as ‘Armistice Day’, this day changed it’s name to Remembrance Day after World War 2. The day is also marked by war remembrances in several other non-Commonwealth countries outside of the UK. Whilst other countries also commemorate Remembrance Day, the first initial Armistice Day took place at Buckingham Palace in London when King George V was in power, on the 10th November 1919.
What is the significance of the poppy?
The meaning of the poppy
The poppy symbolises the lives lost during the World War 1, and is often worn as a symbol to show support for the armed forces and the dedication to their roles. It is also often seen as a symbol for the hope of a peaceful future.
The reason why the poppy is used as the symbol for Remembrance Day is that they were often seen in abundance during the World War 1, specifically on the Western front, due to being able to grow and flourish amongst the soil which was brought up from the ground due to the fighting and shelling during conflict.
The Poppy Appeal
The Poppy is the well known symbol for Remembrance Day, with the British Legion leading the ‘Poppy Appeal’ every year, raising funds to help support currently serving and ex-personnel and their families, offering support and assistance with recovery.
You can buy poppies every year in the weeks leading up to 11th November, with all proceeds going directly to the British Legion. This tradition began back in 1921, where paper poppies were first introduced for the Earl Haig fund, which supported the families of ex-servicemen who passed in the war. This became popular very quickly, with the British Legion taking over in 1922. They were able to staff a factory with disabled ex-servicemen to product their own paper poppies. This still continues until this day.
For more information on the Poppy Appeal, please visit the British Legion website here. You can also donate to the charity directly on their website.
Where can I buy a poppy this year?
For 2024, Sainsbury’s are this year’s partner’s with the British Legion, selling poppies across hundreds of stores across the UK. To find a store near you where you can buy your poppy and support the British Legion, please visit their website here.
If you would like to give a higher donation, Sainsbury’s are also selling other merchandise for the Poppy Appeal, with a percentage of proceeds going directly to the British Legion. You can also recycle your poppy to be used for upcoming years – from 13-17th November, you can use Sainsbury’s dedicated recycling boxes to leave your paper poppies, which will be re-used and recycled.
Further information
To keep up to date with future informative blog posts like these, please visit our ‘News‘ page here.
